AfricaPress-Tanzania: IT’S all systems go as Guru Nanak 2020 Rally revs off today in Monduli engaging over twenty cars in chase for the diadem.
Yesterday, cars drivers underwent pre-event documentation and scrutineering.
The rally will be flagged off this morning inn Monduli about 40 kilometres west of Arusha city.
There are drivers from Kenya, Uganda and Zambia while the rest are Tanzanians.
Among the notable entries include the reigning Uganda national rally champion, Yassin Nasser who will be navigated by Ali Katumba.
While motorsport remains shut in the rest of East Africa, Tanzania has since September resumed rally action starting with Iringa Rally.
Arusha will be the second post corona event for Tanzania, giving an opportunity to rally hungry drivers from neighbouring countries to compete.
“Honestly, everyone is missing competition and it seems chances for resumption this year are slim in Uganda. “When I learnt of Arusha rally, I thought we could attempt it since the borders were opened. And my thought was supported by the whole team hence entering the event,” said Nasser.
Nasser and Katumba are expected to intensify the battle for the top positions together with Kenya’s Karan Patel in a Ford Fiesta R5, Ian Duncan in his Nissan Patrol, Tanzania’s Hari Singh brothers, Gurjit, Ajminder, Rajpar Dhani from Kilimanjaro while Gurpal Sandhu and Jayant Shah are notable entries from Arusha.
The event consists of only two stages, each repeated twice to make a total competitive distance of 116.20 kilometres.
Of the 21 cars to compete in the rugged terrain, different varieties of Subaru Imprezza cars seem to dominate the lineup, with eight such vehicles being enlisted, followed by Mitsubishi Evos team, with seven entries.
There are also some very rare wheels, including the single entry of Skoda Proto from the Hari Singh Rally team; this is also a hybrid team with the driver, Gurjit Dhani from Tanzania and navigator Riyaz Ismail from Kenya.
Among the special cars there is also a Porsche 911 driven by legendary Jayant Shah and Shahil Haria from the A-to-Z team of Arusha and a modern Ford Fiesta driven by Karan Patel and Tauseef Khan from the Fimico team of Kenya. The three are the only non- Japanese cars in the rally.
The only large truck to participate in the racing event should be the Nissan Patrol 4WD to be driven by the Kenyan Ian Duncan rally team, carrying the entry number 7.
Uganda’s sole entry comes in the form of the Moil Rally team of Yassin Nassar and Ali Katumba to race in Subaru Imprezza GVB 15.
